i want to go to dana bash joining me on the phone here. dana, huge surprise to a lot of people. what's behind the resignation. >> reporter: a huge stunner. nobody saw it coming. i was told by a source close to demint he didn't accept the job until yesterday telling the staff this morning, called the governor in south carolina who, of course, will have to appoint the successor and told the republican leaders here. but look. the reason why it's such a surprise is because demint really has been over the past few years somebody who takes pride in his job. and the role that any one senator can do, which is to gum up the works and very much, obviously, an inside job. he said he could be better outside than inside an he said he feels better about leaving because he has been able to get a number -- really, half a dozen tea party-like conservatives elected. >> let me jump in, dana. i want to run through them because, you know, when we think senator demint we think of a tea party stronghold within the u.s. senate and helped and also hurt a number of republican candidates. who were they? >